Top 10 TV shows of 2017: American Gods, The Crown, Game of Thrones on the list

9. Outlander: This beautiful drama has become more about intrigue and less about adventure but Outlander is still compelling. The acting is still good and the gorgeous cinematography still impresses. Stream it on Netflix.

8. Taboo: It is to the medium’s credit that a Hollywood star like Tom Hardy truly got the chance to show his acting chops in a TV series. Taboo is all about James Delaney and that is not just because he is the primary protagonist.

7. Fargo: While not as enjoyable as the first two seasons, the third season of Fargo was nevertheless very entertaining. Ewan McGregor’s performance as the twin brothers is of surpassing excellence and David Thewlis was delightfully filthy Varga.

6. Mindhunters: This Netflix series that had David Fincher written all over it, horrified us with detailing the early days of criminal psychology and circumstances that gave birth to the term “serial-killer”. Stream it on Netflix.

5. The Leftovers: This HBO shows took time to pick up but when it did, it was not just engrossing, it was also philosophical and contemplative like few TV shows are. Stream it on Hotstar.

4. The Crown: The lavish chronicle of Queen Elizabeth continues with an even stronger season with some welcome focus on Prince Philip and Princess Margret. It also had the perfect balance between the global events and intimate familial relationships that the first season lacked. Stream it on Netflix.

3. American Gods: A dazzlingly beautiful and bloody Neil Gaiman adaptation, American Gods has Bryan Fuller’s distinctive touches that help make gore look beautiful. It is not just all visual, however, as American Gods nicely elaborates upon the eternal war between tradition and modernity without straying too far from its solid source material. Stream it on Amazon Prime Video.

2. Better Call Saul: This scribe is of the opinion that Better Call Saul may well be better than the show it owes its existence, Breaking Bad. The descent of Jimmy McGill, better known as Saul Goodman, from a good-hearted, but reckless person to a cheap crooked lawyer is similar to Walter White’s transformation into a drug kingpin. Stream it on Netflix.

1. The Deuce: While not as realistic as The Wire, David Simon’s magnum opus, The Deuce continues Simon’s obsession with how big institutions’ prejudice affects the lower strata of the society. While The Wire was about the illicit drug trade, The Deuce is about the birth of the porn industry and James Franco has delivered his career-best performance. Stream it on Hotstar.